The present invention relates to packaging and shipping containers which are adapted to a particular size or shape of a product or object, and are used to enclose and protect the object against shock during shipment. In particular, it relates to such shipping containers which include cushioning or inserts.
The invention also relates in general to methods and practices for making up or fabricating such shipping containers and the ultimate disposal of waste resulting therefrom.
Such containers are commonly used for the packaging or shipment of microcomputers, CRT displays and workstations, as well as for delicate electronic or optical instruments and like consumer goods. The cushioning employed in the interior of a carton for these purposes may consist of foamed polymeric material in the form of broad sheets, rectangular blocks, or even of contoured molded foam which conforms to the shape of the object being shipped, for example. The foam material may be selected to provide protection against impact and vibration, protection against crushing, or a combination of these properties, and it may be in the form of loose inserts or in the form of cushion members permanently affixed either to the carton or to protective support or cap members that fit within the carton.
The aforesaid products generally have a container volume of up to several cubic feet, and the amount of cushioning involved in their packaging may be substantial. Where the product is an irregularly shaped object, such as a console or work station, the complexity and cost of the shipping assembly itself can be significant. Nonetheless, almost all containers of this type are single-use containers, intended to be discarded by the end user who receives the shipped product. The disposal of such packaging materials raises environmental concerns, and the nature of prior art packaging systems further renders it difficult to effect such disposal in an environmentally sound manner.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a more efficient and environmentally sound cushioned shipping container. It is also desirable to provide a general method for making, using and ultimately disposing of shipping containers.